View full sizeA reward poster offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of those involved with arson. The poster appears on Stars Chinese Gourmet Restaurant in Bangor Township, two days after a fire was reported there.Cole Waterman | The Bay City Times

“He had been out there yesterday for a good part of the day,” Donahue said. “I haven’t gotten any definite word from him yet.”

He added that he doesn’t expect a definitive explanation on what started the fire until the middle of the week.

The site itself remained cordoned off by crime scene tape as of Monday afternoon. Affixed to the building were posters advertising a $5,000 reward “For information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of anyone on Arson-related charges.” The posters state the reward is offered by the Michigan Arson Prevention Committee and they urge anyone with knowledge of the fire to contact the Bay County Sheriff’s Office at 989-895-4050.

Donahue could not comment on whether arson was suspected or not. The Times was unable to reach anyone from the sheriff’s office for comment.

The Times spoke with staff at the restaurant's Hampton Township location — 2807 Center Ave., but they declined to comment.

The fire occurred the night of Saturday, Nov. 2. An employee at the Long John Silver’s across the street called 911 after seeing flames in the building about 11:10 p.m., Donahue previously said. No one was in the building at the time of the fire, as it had been closed for the evening.